DJI Phantom 4 review

Then you can try and bring the exposure back up a little in Lightroom. It’s worth remembering at this point that we are talking about images coming from a tiny camera housed beneath a quadcopter which is capable of hovering hundreds of metres above the ground. The sensor offers an ISO range from 100 to 1600 for stills and 3200 for video.

During flight, you can toggle between P, S, and A modes by changing the position of the flight mode switch located on the top of the remote controller. P, or positioning mode, works best with a strong GPS signal and uses GPS, the vision system, and the infrared sensing system to keep the craft stable, avoid obstacles, and track subjects. The front of the remote controller features two antennas, a display/phone mount, two control sticks, a Return To Home button , a series of status LED indicators, and a power button.

Return to Home mode is enabled automatically when the drone takes off, but it can also be set manually. This is one of the most important features you need to be aware of, as if it all goes wrong it will help to avoid ‘flyaways’. The Phantom 4’s new stockier design sees the old plastic body replaced with a sleek magnesium alloy, finished in glossy white. The camera and gimbal design are improved, and are better integrated into the body, making the whole setup feel more robust.

When you are satisfied with the flight plan, and when the desired connection status is established, execute the flight. At any point during the flight, you can return to the RTK menu to view more details about the X, Y, and Z RMS Errors, as shown in the following image. Read our test setup and results that proves that the WingtraOne drone repeatedly reaches the best-in-class 1 cm (0.4 in) absolute accuracy. The main advantage of the Phantom 4 RTK is that you will need to shoot fewer ground control points. The major functional difference between these two data collection devices is their GPS capabilities.

The Auto setting does a great job, but tends to expose more for the shadows. Since the shadow detail retains more information in the RAW files, I preferred to use Manual mode to expose for the highlights, then bring back some shadow detail in Lightroom. I’d definitely recommend purchasing one of these shorter lightning to USB cables, rather than using a regular length one which will be left dangling off the controller. You can use a range of tablets, but I found the Mini to be the best in terms of size/weight.

phantom 4

Use of C1 or C2 button on the DJI drone remote controller or DJI App (Linkage to the drone’s front LED light is provided). Although a lot of people only upload images to Instagram from their smartphones, the app is much more than just a mobile photography platform. In this guide we’ve chosen a selection of cameras that make it easy to shoot compelling lifestyle images, ideal for sharing on social media. I’ve had three DJI drones and have never had battery problems, other than shorter flight times when the ambient temperature drops below -10C. There isn’t much difference from the previous model in the dji fly series except for the addition of an OcuSync transmission system and low-noise propellers. When all versions of the Phantom 4 series were sold out, some for over half a year at the time, the company made an unfortunate announcement.

Second, if you are just looking for a fun drone to bounce around the backyard, not really planning to take videos, the Phantom 3 standard at less than half the price of the is a smart move. Announced and released in August 2018, the two versions of the update to the Mavic Pro have some tricks up their sleeve. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro rocks a 1-inch camera sensor from Hasselblad, this 20MP shooter produces some of the best aerial footage we’ve seen from a drone under $2000. The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom, on the other hand, has the same size camera sensor as the Phantom 4, but the updated 100Mbps data rate and 2x optical zoom should give the Mavic drone the edge. 10.Can I download other apps onto the Phantom 4 Pro + remote controller display?

In its upgraded Return to Home mode, the Phantom 4 Pro can automatically choose the best route to return home depending on environmental conditions. It records its route as it flies, allowing it to return along the same route avoiding obstacles if the control signal is disconnected. When Course Lock is activated, it locks the current Phantom 4 nose direction as the aircraft forward direction. The Phantom 4 will move in the locked directions no matter what its orientation is. This easy navigation allows you to fly in a set direction as you fly alongside moving objects or across scenes.

DJI provides QR codes in the quick start guide, both to download the DJI GO 4 app and to watch tutorial videos that they have created. Keep in mind that both the battery and remote controller need to be charged, and while the battery dji drones itself takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes, the controller takes a staggering 3 hours and 40 minutes. So go ahead and plug both of these in, and maybe take the opportunity to watch a couple of feature-length movies in the meantime.